Umuntfu waNkulunkulu labechamuka kaJuda
1Ngelivi laSimakadze kwefika umuntfu waNkulunkulu eBetheli aphuma kaJuda, Jerobowamu aseme eceleni kwelilati kutekwenta umhlatjelo. 2Lomuntfu wakhala asola lilati ngekuyalwa nguSimakadze, watsi: “Maye, lilati! Lilati! Naku lokukhulunywa nguSimakadze: ‘Indvodzana letakutsiwa nguJosaya libito layo, itawutalwa emndenini waDavide. Etikwakho utakwenta umhlatjelo ngebaphristi labakhonta bonkulunkulu etindzaweni letiphakeme, bona laba labenta umnikelo lapha etikwakho, ematsambo ebantfu atawushiselwa lapha etikwakho.’ ” 3Ngasona leso sikhatsi lomuntfu waNkulunkulu wabanika sibonakaliso watsi: “Nasi-ke sibonakaliso lesetfulwa nguSimakadze: Lelilati litawuchekeka ekhatsi, umlotsa losetikwalo ucitseke.”
4Yatsi kube inkhosi, Jerobowamu, ive loko lokwakukhulunywa ngulomuntfu waNkulunkulu ngelilati lelalilapho eBetheli, yelula sandla sayo, yamkhomba, yatsi: “Mbambeni!” Kodvwa lomkhono leyayiwelulile ikhomba ngawo lomuntfu waNkulunkulu womelela, wangabe usagobana. 5Nalelilati lachekeka ekhatsi, umlotsa walo wacitsekela phansi, kwaya njengaleso sibonakaliso lesasetfulwe ngulomuntfu waNkulunkulu, kwaya njengekwelivi laSimakadze.
6Inkhosi yakhuluma kulomuntfu waNkulunkulu, yatsi: “Ngicela ungincusele kuSimakadze, Nkulunkulu wakho, ungithandazele, khona atewuphilisa lomkhono wami.” Kwatsi lomuntfu waNkulunkulu nakamncusela kuSimakadze, umkhono wenkhosi Jerobowamu waphiliswa, waba njengakucala futsi.
7Inkhosi yakhuluma kulomuntfu waNkulunkulu, yatsi: “Wota sambe siye ekhaya lami utewutfola lokudliwako, ngitabe sengikunika nesipho.”
8Kodvwa lomuntfu waNkulunkulu waphendvula lenkhosi, watsi: “Nome ngabe bewutanginika incenye yaloko lonako, bengingeke ngihambe nawe, futsi bengingeke ngidle nekudla, nginatse nemanti akakho, 9ngobe ngiyalwe livi laSimakadze, latsi: ‘Akukafaneli ukudle ngisho nekudla kwakhona, ungawanatsi ngisho nemanti akhona, futsi ungancandzeki ngalendlela lote ngayo.’ ” 10Ngako-ke wancandzeka ngalenye indlela, wayiyekela lena labete ngayo lapha eBetheli.
Umphrofethi lomdzala waseBetheli
11Kwakukhona umphrofethi lotsite lomdzala labehlala lapha eBetheli. Ngalelo langa kwefika emadvodzana akakhe amtekela ngako konkhe loko lokwase kwentiwe ngulomuntfu waNkulunkulu eBetheli. Bamtjela nekumtjela uyise konkhe labekukhulume enkhosini Jerobowamu. 12Uyise wawabuta watsi: “Uhambe ngayiphi indlela?” Emadvodzana akhe amkhombisa leyo ndlela labehambe ngayo umuntfu waNkulunkulu, labephume kaJuda. 13Ngako wakhuluma kumadvodzana akhe, watsi: “Bophelani sihlalo embongolweni yami.” Batsi kube babophele sihlalo embongolweni yakhe, wagibela, wahamba 14walandzela lomuntfu waNkulunkulu. Wamkhandza ahleti ngaphansi kwesihlahla lesikhulu sem-okhi, wafike wambuta watsi: “Wena unguye yini lomuntfu waNkulunkulu labephuma kaJuda?”
Waphendvula watsi: “Nginguye.”
15Lomphrofethi-ke wakhuluma kuye, watsi: “Wota sambe siye ekhaya uyewutfola lokudliwako.”
16Kodvwa lomuntfu waNkulunkulu waphendvula, watsi: “Ngingeke ngincandzeke ngibuyele nawe emuva, kantsi futsi ngingeke ngidle kudla nawe nome nginatse nawe emanti kulendzawo. 17Ngiyalwe nguSimakadze watsi: ‘Kufanele ungakudli kudla, ungawanatsi nemanti akhona, ngisho nendlela lote ngayo ungabuyi ngayo.’ ”
18Nalomphrofethi lomdzala waphendvula, watsi: “Nami futsi ngingumphrofethi njengawe. Ingilosi ikhulume kimi ngelivi laSimakadze, yatsi: ‘Mlandze, ute naye lapha kakho, khona atekudla kudla, anatse nemanti.’ ” Kodvwa abecala emanga.
19Ngako lomuntfu waNkulunkulu wancandzeka naye wayakudla naye, wanatsa naye endlini kakhe.
20Batsi basehleti etafuleni badla, livi laSimakadze lefika kulomphrofethi lomdzala labencandze lomuntfu waNkulunkulu. 21Wamemeta, akhuluma kulomuntfu waNkulunkulu labephuma kaJuda, watsi: “Naku lokushiwo nguSimakadze: ‘Njengobe ungakamlaleli Simakadze, ngekutsi wente umyalo Simakadze Nkulunkulu wakho lakunike wona, 22kodvwa uncandzekile, wafike wadla wanatsa, lapho bekungakafaneli kutsi udle unatse khona, sidvumbu sakho singeke singcwatjwe lapho kwafihlwa khona boyihlomkhulu.’ ”
23Watsi kube lomuntfu waNkulunkulu acedze kudla nekunatsa, lomphrofethi labemncandzekisile wamlungiselela imbongolo yakhe. 24Watsi asahamba endleleni, wahlangana nelibhubesi, lambamba lambulala, sidvumbu sakhe sadzilikela phansi emgwacweni, lembongolo nalelibhubesi kwema eceleni kwesidvumbu. 25Bantfu lababendlula ngakhona lapho basibona lesidvumbu siphansi, nelibhubesi lime eceleni kwaso, base bayahamba bayawubika edolobheni, lapho bekuhlala khona lomphrofethi lomdzala.
26Watsi lomphrofethi lamncandza endleleni kube akuve loko, watsi: “Ngulomuntfu waNkulunkulu longalilalelanga livi laSimakadze, Simakadze umnikele kulelibhubesi lelimdladlabule lambulala, njengobe livi laSimakadze belimcaphelisile.”
27Lomphrofethi wakhuluma kulamadvodzana akhe, watsi: “Ase ningekhwetele sihlalo embongolweni ngitewuhamba,” nembala bamlungisela. 28Waphuma wahamba, wakhandza leso sidvumbu sidzindzibele endleleni, lembongolo nalelibhubesi kume eceleni kwaso. Lelibhubesi belingakasidli lesidvumbu, kantsi futsi nalembongolo belingakayidzabuli. 29Lomphrofethi wasicukula lesidvumbu salomuntfu waNkulunkulu, wasekhweta embongolweni, wabuyela naso emuva edolobheni lakubo, kutsi atemlilela, bese uyamngcwaba. 30Lesidvumbu wasingcwaba ethuneni lakhe, bamlilela batsi: “Hhawu, mnaketfu!”
31Watsi kube amngcwabe, wakhuluma kumadvodzana akhe, watsi: “Nase ngifile, nibongingcwaba kulo lelithuna, lapho kungcwatjwe khona lomuntfu waNkulunkulu; ematsambo ami nibowabeka eceleni kwematsambo akhe. 32Ngobe lomlayeto lawukhuluma ngelivi laSimakadze macondzana nelilati laseBetheli kanye nato tonkhe tindzawo letiphakeme tekukhonta letisemadolobheni aseSamariya, nakanjani utakwenteka.”
Sono saJerobowamu
33Ngisho nome sekwenteke loku, Jerobowamu akazange aphendvuke etindleleni takhe letimbi, kodvwa wachubeka wabeka baphristi bekukhonta etindzaweni letiphakeme tekukhontela, abekhetsa nome ngumuphi umuntfu labefisa kuba ngumphristi, amehlukanisele indzawo lephakeme yekukhonta. 34Lesi kwaba sono sendlu yakaJerobowamu lokungusona sabangela kutsi indlu yakhe yonkhe ibhubhe iphele ingasabikho emhlabeni.
